So you want to be healthy. That’s awesome! Good for you. So where do you start?
If you completely change your entire routine (the “cold turkey” route) your chances of success are much lower.
You can’t go from fast food, Cheetos, soda & zero exercise every day to organic tofu, broccoli & an hour workout every day. This isn’t sustainable. It will be a shock to your system and your taste buds.
Let’s also talk about calorie counting for a minute. I’m not a calorie counter. Never have been. Never will be.
Do you actually expect to continue counting calories for the rest of your life? Probably not. So the moment you reach your end goal (whatever that is), chances are you’ll go right back to the way you used to be.
More likely than not, you’ll end up gaining all the weight back and then some from all the deprivation you put yourself through.
I’m a health coach but I eat cheesecake. I’m a health coach but I eat French fries. I’m a health coach but I eat donuts.
Do I do this all the time? Absolutely not! It’s all about balance and you do NOT have to give up the foods you love to be healthy.
Here’s what’s sustainable: one step at a time, one choice at a time. First, work on getting more vegetables into each meal. This was key in my weight loss journey. Just. Eat. More. Veggies.
The more vegetables you eat, the fuller you get. So you’ll have less room for the less healthy but maybe more indulgent foods, so you’ll eat less of them!
Next, take a look at how much processed food you’re eating. How much processed food is in your pantry? How much of your breakfast is processed food? Your lunch? Your dinner? It’s kind of a gross term but these are “dead foods”. If you want the vitality drained out of you, this is what you eat. These are chips, cookies, pop tarts, beef sticks - anything in a package with an ingredient list basically. Anything made in a factory.
If you want to feel energized and light and happy, stick with the “living foods”. Fresh fruits and vegetables. Whole Foods. Whole grains. Organic meats. Beans. Nuts and seeds.
Again, please do not go cold turkey. Just keep these tips in mind during your next shopping trip. Get one less bag of chips and replace it with carrots and hummus. Or apples and peanut butter. Or both! Variety is a very good thing.
One healthy decision will lead to another and soon your body won’t even accept your old way of living anymore. You’ll try to give yourself a fast food burger for dinner in a pinch and you’ll feel like you’re going to throw up - at least that’s what happened to me!
Your body will tell you what makes it feel good. You just have to be paying close enough attention to notice what it’s trying to say. Then act accordingly.
If this was helpful for you, join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
You can also grab my free guide on 3 Easy Steps to Lose Weight and Feel Amazing here.
Stress management is huge. It impacts your whole world. How you talk to others, how you talk to yourself, how your food digests, the overall health of your body.
A body with well-managed stress is a lot healthier than a body that’s in fight or flight all the time.
And if you’re having gut health issues (eczema, acne, anxiety, headaches, fatigue), it’s that much more important to get your body out of fight or flight and into rest and digest.
Not to mention you just FEEL a million times better when you’re managing your stress appropriately.
Here are some of my favorite ways to manage stress:
1. Meditation
This is something I’ve only just started doing, but I’m already a huge fan. I’ve been starting with a 10 minute guided meditation, and I notice a massive difference in my stress (and patience) levels. I’m less likely to be triggered by things that usually annoy the heck out of me when I’ve done my meditation that morning. And I’m only 4 days in.
2. Yoga
It’s the stretching and the breath work. I have a feeling of zen I carry with me when I finish my yoga practice.
3. Connect with the Earth
Take your shoes and socks off, stand in the grass & just feel for a few minutes.
4. Essential oils
There are the obvious ones like Stress Away and Lavender, but Palo Santo and other tree oils are very grounding. Frankincense is another one that’s earthy and grounding. Valor and Peace & Calming are great ones to use too. Diffuse them, rub a couple drops together in your palms and take the scent in, put a drop or two on your wrists - there’s really no wrong way to do it. As long as you’re breathing in the scent, it’s working.
5. Sleep
Sometimes, you just need a good sleep. Take a nap, get 8-9 hours in, or just get under the covers and rest your eyes.
If you can find a way to work these into your daily routine, you'll be much better off - I promise! Which of these do you see yourself working into your morning routine? Your wind down routine? What are some of your favorite ways to manage stress? Let me know in the comments below.
A body with well-managed stress is a lot healthier than a body that’s in fight or flight all the time.
And if you’re having gut health issues (eczema, acne, anxiety, headaches, fatigue), it’s that much more important to get your body out of fight or flight and into rest and digest.
Not to mention you just FEEL a million times better when you’re managing your stress appropriately.
Here are some of my favorite ways to manage stress:
1. Meditation
This is something I’ve only just started doing, but I’m already a huge fan. I’ve been starting with a 10 minute guided meditation, and I notice a massive difference in my stress (and patience) levels. I’m less likely to be triggered by things that usually annoy the heck out of me when I’ve done my meditation that morning. And I’m only 4 days in.
2. Yoga
It’s the stretching and the breath work. I have a feeling of zen I carry with me when I finish my yoga practice.
3. Connect with the Earth
Take your shoes and socks off, stand in the grass & just feel for a few minutes.
4. Essential oils
There are the obvious ones like Stress Away and Lavender, but Palo Santo and other tree oils are very grounding. Frankincense is another one that’s earthy and grounding. Valor and Peace & Calming are great ones to use too. Diffuse them, rub a couple drops together in your palms and take the scent in, put a drop or two on your wrists - there’s really no wrong way to do it. As long as you’re breathing in the scent, it’s working.
5. Sleep
Sometimes, you just need a good sleep. Take a nap, get 8-9 hours in, or just get under the covers and rest your eyes.
If you can find a way to work these into your daily routine, you'll be much better off - I promise! Which of these do you see yourself working into your morning routine? Your wind down routine? What are some of your favorite ways to manage stress? Let me know in the comments below.
If this was helpful for you, join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
You can also grab my free guide on 3 Easy Steps to Lose Weight and Feel Amazing here.
Your body is talking to you all the time. Listen to it.
My body has told me for years, “No, Mary, we don’t like gluten.” “No, Mary, dairy isn’t good.” And I resisted so much!! I’ve now been gluten free for about 15 years and I don’t plan on going back. I have experimented with re-introducing dairy into my diet, and almost every time, my body is like, “No, stop!”
Symptoms are your body’s way of communicating with you. It’s dangerous to shut down this method of communication because your body needs to be able to send you important messages! Health is a journey. And while I’m much farther along than I was 10 years ago (or heck! 3 years ago!) I still have recurring symptoms that I’m trying to figure out. And the truth is, I can’t do it on my own.
Skin issues are what brought me to the concept of gut health. Gut health is related to much more than just the skin – it’s related to hormones, anxiety levels, mood and more – but symptoms showing on my skin came out to tell me something is wrong on the inside. And I’m no doctor, but I truly believe MOST symptoms/issues appearing on the skin are caused by some kind of internal storm – likely in the gut.
I’ve gone to a Naturopathic doctor several times in my life to “re-calibrate” and see what’s going on in my body. I’ve found they’re like translators! It’s so interesting all the insightful information they can uncover with unconventional testing using things like electromagnetism, your muscles & your nervous system! You can even see if your local health food store offers any sort of testing. Mine offers an Asyra test - and I'm going Saturday!
The results from these tests can be overwhelming – because you usually get news you don’t want (like your favorite go-to snack is causing problems in your body). But here’s the thing: this is what you’re looking for! This is what you need to be in tune with your body and move forward living your BEST life, in alignment with your body’s needs!
My best advice is NOT to try implementing multiple new foods and lifestyle practices all at once. Once you know what you’re working with, you can start by slowly implementing SUSTAINABLE changes in your life.
LISTEN to your body and HONOR what it’s telling you. Don’t fight it and don’t just treat the symptom. Just find another way. And that’s what us Health Coaches are here for!!
Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! You can also request to join my new Facebook group for more tips to come – free of charge. <3
